Different MK Early ADR Experience

[iluvhawaii]

Hi all. We are at the world right now. Had an 8:05 am ADR at Crystal Palace yesterday. Our experience was different than others' who had posted in the past, so I just thought I'd share so folks have the info.

Based on others' posts, I thought we would be able to arrive early for our ADR, get into the park, walk down a near-empty Main Street, and have a Photopass photographer take our pics. That was NOT our experience. We arrived at 7:40 am. They asked what time our ADR was, but didn't check against any list. According to one CM, anyone with an ADR before 9 am could get in. Once through the turnstiles, we were all held back before the train tunnel. At 7:55 am, they let us all in at the same time. Now, granted it wasn't thousands of people, but still enough, walking down Main Street at the same time, to prevent us from getting pics without plenty of others in it. I didn't see any Photopass photogs there--I was looking since I was hoping to get a pic of our party of 10 all together.

Now perhaps this was just a fluke, but it was definitely different than I had anticipated. Perhaps, if I had waited a bit for the rush to subside, I might have had a different experience--but the young ones in our party wanted to see Pooh and friends, and I wanted to try to finish up our breakfast early enough to be in the park close to rope drop.

 

[AirGoofy]

Hi all. We are at the world right now. Had an 8:05 am ADR at Crystal Palace yesterday. Our experience was different than others' who had posted in the past, so I just thought I'd share so folks have the info.

Based on others' posts, I thought we would be able to arrive early for our ADR, get into the park, walk down a near-empty Main Street, and have a Photopass photographer take our pics. That was NOT our experience. We arrived at 7:40 am. They asked what time our ADR was, but didn't check against any list. According to one CM, anyone with an ADR before 9 am could get in. Once through the turnstiles, we were all held back before the train tunnel. At 7:55 am, they let us all in at the same time. Now, granted it wasn't thousands of people, but still enough, walking down Main Street at the same time, to prevent us from getting pics without plenty of others in it. I didn't see any Photopass photogs there--I was looking since I was hoping to get a pic of our party of 10 all together.

Now perhaps this was just a fluke, but it was definitely different than I had anticipated. Perhaps, if I had waited a bit for the rush to subside, I might have had a different experience--but the young ones in our party wanted to see Pooh and friends, and I wanted to try to finish up our breakfast early enough to be in the park close to rope drop.

Sorry you had a bad experience. I don't remember any photopass people being out early in any theme park for early morning ADRs. Hopefully, you were able to finish the meal, enjoy the characters, and get into MK early and enjoy the park. To me, that is the real benefit of early morning ADRs.

 

[iluvhawaii]

It wasn't a bad experience. Just differed from expectations. We did enjoy CP. Saw Piglet, Tigger (fantastic), and Pooh. Eeyore was there, too, but it was taking him forever to get through some of the tables before us, so we decided to leave before we saw him in order to get to the park. Missed rope drop (we figured we would), but it was still early enough to enjoy.

 

[raider97]

We had an 8:25 am ADR at CP this past December and there were several photopass photographers out and about to take pictures before our ADR.

 

[squirrel]

What you posted was exactly the way it happened for us.

The photopass photographers do come out. I waited on Main Street and they came out a few minutes later. I didn't see any and I was at the front of the crowd walking up the street. I had to dig in my backpack for my camera as I figured they weren't going to come. By the time I got it out and tried to take pictures (the lense fogged up) the photopass photographers were out. Also by that time everyone behind me was already taking their own photos and were up ahead of me.

Next time I will have my camera out while I'm waiting in the holding area after the turnstyles so it can adjust to the temperature/moisture.